Canon A-1 Film Camera Review

The A-1 film SLR was a technological and design philosophy leap for Canon. Introduced in 1978, it was the first SLR to automatically select aperture and shutter speeds using onboard electronics. While helpful for beginners, this new feature also gave proficient photographers a useful advantage.

Many copies of Canon A-1s can still be found today in excellent working condition — a testament to the reliability of electronic components and Canon’s build quality at the time. My copy still works like new.

For a modern photographer, the A-1 is a convenient, affordable option (copies can be found for under $100).

But no camera is flawless. This review covers all the quirks and features of this remarkable piece of photographic history as tested in the field with a variety of films and lenses.

In this review: Canon A-1’s unusual controls. Technical specifications. Getting started: film and batteries. Canon A-1 in use: design and ergonomics. Build quality. Known issues. Is Canon A-1 worth the price? Where to find a reliable Canon A-1. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

 ☝︎ Further reading: “Canon “A”-Series SLR Comparison Guide.”

Canon A-1’s unusual controls.

Canon FD mounts were designed for mechanically controlled lenses. The lens’ aperture would stay fully open (e.x., 𝒇2.8) until the shutter is released. Once that happens, a mechanical arm would briefly trigger the lens’ diaphragm to close to the setting on the ring (e.x., 𝒇16) — and then back to 𝒇2.8.

This design ensured that the photographer always had optimal light reaching the viewfinder; it was a standard for most SLRs at the time. But for Canon this presented a problem: this system did not transmit any info about the selected aperture from the lens to the body. The lens alone was responsible for selecting the right aperture during the shutter action — the camera only triggered it to do so.

For the aperture priority and full-auto modes to work, the camera had to be aware of the aperture. Without this information, the processor can not calculate a matching shutter speed.

Canon’s solution was to design an aperture override control or “AT Dial” on the body itself. It would collect the aperture preference data, use it to calculate the shutter speed, and convert that calculation into a mechanical signal that guides the lens action.

The AT Dial was a well-designed solution. In practice, it looks fun and easy to use. It was activated by setting the lens to an “A” setting instead of an aperture.

The downside is that the AT Dial has a predefined set of apertures (from 𝒇1.4 to 𝒇22) which typically won’t match the actual available settings on your lens. It’s smart enough to default to the lens’ limits but that may still cause some confusion.

An upside to the AT Dial is an easy, tactile way to switch to the shutter priority mode. Flipping a switch from “AV❍” to “TV❏” does the trick. In the shutter priority mode there is no mismatch between the available options and the markings on the control.

And while in the TV mode, you can flip all the up to the green [P] mode, which will have the camera take complete control over the exposure, i.e., the full auto mode.

Technical specifications.

Canon A-1’s electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter can stay open for as long as 30 seconds (or manually controlled via Bulb mode). The top shutter speed is 1/1000s. Flash sync is at 1/60s. The camera also has a two and ten-second delay timer with a blinking LED. Multiple exposures are possible by pushing a tiny lever under the film advance crank inwards.

The camera weighs 620g/22oz (without a lens) and measures 141mm × 92mm × 48mm (5.5” × 3.6” × 1.9”). This is fairly light and compact, especially when compared against the majority of mechanical cameras at the time, like Canon F-1.

The viewfinder on A-1 has a 95% coverage with an .83x magnification. Shutter speeds and apertures are convenintly displayed in the viewfinder with a seven segment red LED digits. The LED display can be turned off with a combo switch on the top plate next to the ISO selector wheel (the button above the switch is for checking the battery levels).

The DOF preview lever to the side of the lens can be locked in place to set A-1 into stop-down metering mode. This will close the lens aperture to whatever you set on the lens dial (possibly making the viewfinder darker). While not necessary with the standard Canon FD-mount lenses, this allows using older and adapted lenses.

Above the DOF preview lever is an exposure lock button, which you’ll have to hold (instead of the more common half-pressing the shutter button action) to keep the shutter/aperture settings unchanged as you recompose. A second exposure lock button is located on the top plate next to the film plane mark ⌀.

Above the exposure lock button, there’s an Exposure Memory Switch, which works like an exposure lock — except the exposure stays locked until you press the button again to reset it. This is helpful if you want to lock the exposure but change either the shutter or aperture setting.

A-1 accepts ISOs 6 to 12,800 (adjustable while pressing a small lever on the side of the ISO/ASA dial) and allows +2/-2 stop compensation with 1/3-stop clicks.

Other features include a viewfinder block screen lever (right next to the eyepiece), a hot shoe, a tripod hole, and a port for an optional motorized film winder.

Getting started: film and batteries.

Canon A-1 needs a 4SR44 6V battery to work. The more common 4LR44 is acceptable; however, 4SR44 and its alternatives may be a better option as it produces a more consistent voltage.

The power switch is a small lever under the film advance lever. There are two settings “A,” which turns the camera on, and “L,” which turns the camera off and lock the shutter.

The battery check procedure on A-1 is strangely annoying. You’ll need to press the battery check button next to the ISO/ASA dial (the one with a combo lever) while the power is switched on and look at the red flashing bulb. Slow flashes mean that the battery needs to be replaced. I thought this was a particularly wild design choice given, how much automation this camera brings to the table.

The good news is that a single battery can last an entire year. Perhaps you can switch it every six months to avoid dealing with the battery-checking procedure.

A-1 can shoot any 35mm film that has an ISO rating of 6 and above. You may even use an ISO 1.5 film by setting the exposure compensation dial to -2 stops (1/4 on the ISO/ASA dial). Your film does not need to have a DX code, which means you can use all Lomography films or anything in 135 film canisters.

Canon A-1 in use: design and ergonomics.

The A-1 feels like a mildly over-engineered camera. It packs a lot of features that were new for SLRs at the time, but because of their novelty, the controls for those features weren’t as refined as they could be.

For example, holding a separate button to set an exposure lock is a little cumbersome compared to a more modern solution (half-press position of the shutter button). Canon added a secondary button so that this function could be operated with either hand (and an Exposure Memory Switch, which works similarly) — but now there are three unmarked black buttons.

The battery-check procedure is another example of an awkward approach. I also don’t think that extras like the double-exposure switch, viewfinder curtain, and power switch or the multiple delay timer settings were necessary. I’ve never used those.

The exposure compensation dial is useful, but the markings on it are confusing. 1/4 implies that the exposure will be reduced by 2 stops, which makes sense after some mental gymnastics (1/4th of the metered light is allowed with this setting), a -2 -1 0 +1 +2 markings would’ve been a lot easier to understand.

But at the same time, the A-1 is more capable than its siblings, AE-1 and AE-1 Program. Most importantly, it gives the photographer a more complete control over the exposure.

I’ve also enjoyed using the viewfinder on A-1. While optically unremarkable, the easy-to-read digits showing the aperture and shutter settings felt reassuring and useful in practice. This is a step up from most cameras of the period and practically all point-and-shoots that will leave you wondering which settings were computed for your scenes.

Another plus for A-1 is the control layout. Canon engineers had a lot of buttons to manage, which I think they did pretty well. The numerous features I found useless or awkward are mostly out of the way. This camera may be used without a manual, and it’s pretty fast in operation.

The body is relatively light, especially when compared to the top-line Canon camera of the time, Canon F-1. The A-1 is almost 50% lighter than F-1. Of course, a lot of that weight reduction is due to the increased use of lighter materials like plastic and the replacement of gears and timing mechanisms with microchips and electronics.

Build quality.

The A-1 is a solidly built camera even though uses more plastics than most SLRs of the period, which can make it feel a little cheap next to them. The multitude of controls adds to the overall jankiness — but as a whole, the camera body is well-made. My copy still works well despite the fact that it’s older than me, and it appears to be in a good enough shape to keep working for another 40 years. Nothing is dangling on A-1 — all components fit perfectly and the body does not feel hollow.

Known issues.

Some A-1s can have their exposure meter readings drift, which may cause overexposure on film. This problem isn’t easy to notice without doing a proper test but isn’t hard to remedy:

If you find that your photos appear much brighter than they should, set your exposure compensation dial to 1/4. This should compensate for the error and you can continue to use your camera as normal.

Is Canon A-1 worth the price?

These cameras can still be found for less than $100 or $200 in good condition. Given that they use the same lenses as the A-1/F-1 series, you have a great choice of quality glass.

My favourite lens has been the ultrawide 24mm 𝒇2.8 FD that I used for the photos in this article. It’s affordable, very sharp, and very good at resisting flares. The 28mm 𝒇3.5 FD is also decent but yours is likely to come with the 50mm 𝒇1.4 S.S.C. FD, which renders nice bokeh and strong contrast.

The A-1 is Canon’s most-featured electronically-controlled SLR with an FD mount, making it more valuable and more capable than the other A-series cameras.

I think it’s worth the money.

Where to find a reliable Canon A-1.

Your best bet is always to go for film-tested listings or to buy from a reputable, highly-rated seller. I go into great detail on making sensible purchases on eBay on Analog.Cafe — a highly recommended read for all first-time vintage gear buyers.

Thankfully, platforms like eBay and Amazon make returns and refunds easy. All you need to do is make sure that some sort of a test was performed on your A-1 with a battery, check the photos, and don’t hesitate to get your money back if it doesn’t work as described!

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Canon A-1 camera purchase using this link  so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!